EURO 2012 As the Greatest Event in History of Ukraine and Poland

EURO 2012 is going to be the greatest event in the modern history of both Poland and Ukraine. Both countries have never hosted European and World championships. Moreover, Ukraine have never participated in EURO while Poland made its debut at last European championship.

Very few people expected Ukraine and Poland to win the bid. Italy had very strong positions, while Hungary and Croatia had good chances as well. However, the decision was made in favor of Ukraine and Poland.

As soon as the two countries learned about this decision they initiated preparations. The key requirements of UEFA were to stadiums. Of course, Poland and Ukraine had stadiums, but very few of them complied with UEFA requirement to elite 5 star stadiums. Thus, some stadiums are undergoing (or have underwent) renovation which concern stadiums' capacity, VIP zones, seats for disabled.

Of course, the two countries have to care of infrastructure. Millions of people will come to EURO, and they need airports, quality highways, hotels, restaurants etc. Obviously, Poland is better prepared, however Ukraine is taking huge steps to copy with the tasks on time.

Currently, Ukraine and Poland are busy getting ready for EURO 2012. Some stadiums are ready (like for example, a gorgeous stadium in Donetsk) while others are being still constructed. EURO 2012 news appear in mass media every day and they mostly concerns putting into commission roads, highways, stadiums and hotels. Much needs to be accomplished, but it seems like the two counties are doing OK, which is proved by UEFA Chief Michelle Platini's recent statements (however in mid 2010 UEFA had doubts as to Ukraine capability to host EURO 2012).

By Aleksey Donets

The Top Ten Best Champions League Finals Ever

Over the years the UEFA Champions League has captured the attention of the world, and the eagerly anticipated finals have caused both endless joy and agonising heartache for millions of football fans. With the UK gearing up to host a record 6th final at Wembley Stadium, let's take a trip down memory lane and look at the 10 best Champions League finals ever:

1. Liverpool 3: AC Milan 3 (3:2 penalties)
2005
This epic battle in Istabul's stadium was the undisputed greatest final in recent Champions League history. AC Milan managed to get an early 3-0 lead, but the second half saw Liverpool score 3 goals within 15 minutes to force the final to extra time and eventually penalties.

2. Real Madrid 7: Frankfurt 3
1960
This final is considered to be one of the greatest football matches of all time and saw two Real Madrid players achieve hat tricks to win the club's fifth Cup title in a row, a record yet to be broken.

3. Real Madrid 2: 1 Bayer Leverkusen
2002
Real Madrid's 9th European title came in Glasgow, as Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos teamed together to produce one of the greatest goals in history to take the lead against Bayer Leverkusen.

4. Manchester United 2: Bayern Munich 1

1999

The first-ever English treble was achieved by one of the greatest comebacks in football ever. In extra time, David Beckham twice managed to coax the ball from his adidas football boots into perfect placement for strikers Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær to score.

5. Porto 2: Bayern Munich 1
1987
Porto battled for 90 minutes to prevent Bayern Munich from clinching their fourth title, and took it home themselves for the first time. Both goals came late in the game; Rabah Madjer scoring in the 78th minute and Juary sealing the deal 2 minutes later.

6. Porto 3: Monaco 0
2004
Both Monaco and Porto entered the final as underdogs, and it was the first time that a well-known Italian, English or Spanish club didn't win. Porto's win cemented Jose Mourinho's reputation as 'The Special One.'

7. Benfica 5: Real Madrid 3
1962
The first time Real Madrid lost the Cup Final was to defending champions Benefica. In a thrilling 5-3 match, with the Portuguese attackers broke down the Spanish defense in the second half.

8. Celtic 2: Inter Milan 1
1967
The Scottish boys deserve a place on this list, with Celtic becoming the first British champions 1 year before Man U, with an incredible 2-1 victory in Lisbon against Inter Milan. Winning both the Scottish Football league and Scottish Cup in the same season, they also became the first European club to complete the treble.

9. Manchester United 4: Benfica 1
1968
Manchester United were the first English club to win the Cup title, beating Portuguese side Benfica with 3 goals in extra time at Wembley. With Bobby Charlton putting his team up 1-0 in the 53rd minute, he again scored in the first 10 minutes of extra time, with George Best and Brian Kidd also putting one each in the back of the net.

10. Marseille: 1 AC Milan 0
1993
The first year of the current Champions League format, 1993 saw only the first (and last) French team to win the title. In a match against AC Milan, Marseille managed to slip in the only goal at the 44th minute.

By Jake Reacher